Gas distribution plate for thermal deposition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11110425-B2
Application number	US-201916523252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2019
Priority date	Jul 27, 2018
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing high velocity gas flow showerheads for deposition chambers are described. The showerhead has a faceplate in contact with a backing plate that has a concave portion to provide a plenum between the backing plate and the faceplate. A plurality of thermal elements is within the concave portion of the backing plate and extends to contact the faceplate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas distribution plate comprising: a faceplate having a front surface and a back surface defining a thickness and a plurality of apertures extending through the thickness; and a backing plate having a front surface and a back surface defining a thickness, the front surface in contact with the back surface of the faceplate, the front surface of the backing plate including a concave portion to form a plenum bounded by the concave portion and the back surface of the faceplate, and a plurality of thermal elements extending from the concave portion and contacting the back surface of the faceplate.

2. The gas distribution plate of claim 1 , wherein each of the thermal elements independently extends a length from the concave surface of the concave portion to a front surface of the thermal element.

3. The gas distribution plate of claim 2 , wherein the front surfaces of the thermal elements are substantially coplanar.

4. The gas distribution plate of claim 2 , wherein each of the thermal elements has a tapered profile with a flared base at the concave surface of the concave portion and a narrower end at the front surface.

5. The gas distribution plate of claim 2 , wherein the backing plate has an outer peripheral edge and the concave portion has an outer peripheral edge.

6. The gas distribution plate of claim 5 , wherein an outer front face ring defined as the front surface of the backing plate between the outer peripheral edge of the concave portion and the outer peripheral edge of the backing plate is substantially flat.

7. The gas distribution plate of claim 6 , wherein the front surface of the backing plate at the outer front face ring is substantially coplanar with the front surfaces of the thermal elements.

8. The gas distribution plate of claim 6 , wherein the concave portion has a concave portion diameter D C less than an outer peripheral diameter D P of the backing plate to provide a sealing surface at the outer front face ring.

9. The gas distribution plate of claim 8 , wherein the concave portion diameter D C is greater than or equal to about 90% of the outer peripheral diameter D P .

10. The gas distribution plate of claim 8 , wherein the backing plate is bonded to the faceplate at the sealing surface.

11. The gas distribution plate of claim 10 , wherein the backing plate is bonded to the faceplate at the front surface of the thermal elements.

12. The gas distribution plate of claim 1 , wherein the backing plate further comprises a gas inlet providing fluid communication between the back surface of the backing plate and the plenum.

13. The gas distribution plate of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures extending through the faceplate have a back surface diameter and a front surface diameter different from the back surface diameter.

14. The gas distribution plate of claim 13 , wherein the front surface diameter is smaller than the back surface diameter.

15. The gas distribution plate of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of apertures have a back portion diameter and a front portion diameter and a transition portion between the back portion and the front portion.

16. The gas distribution plate of claim 1 , wherein the backing plate further comprises a thermal control component within a body of the backing plate to control a temperature of the backing plate and faceplate.

17. The gas distribution plate of claim 1 , wherein the backing plate comprises: a plenum plate having a front surface and a back surface defining a thickness of the plenum plate, the front surface in contact with the back surface of the faceplate, the front surface of the plenum plate including the concave portion to form a plenum bounded by the concave portion and the back surface of the faceplate, and a plurality of thermal elements extending from a concave surface the concave portion and contacting the back surface of the faceplate; and a backing plate cover having a front surface and a back surface defining a thickness of the backing plate cover, the front surface of the backing plate cover in contact with the back surface of the plenum plate, wherein the back surface of the backing plate cover is the back surface of the backing plate and the front surface of the plenum plate is the front surface of the backing plate, and wherein the backing plate cover is connected to the plenum plate by a mechanical fastener and the plenum plate bonded to the faceplate.

18. A processing chamber comprising: a substrate support having a support surface; the gas distribution plate of claim 1 , the front surface of the faceplate spaced a distance from the support surface; and a controller configured to: provide a flow of gas to the gas distribution plate, and/or control a temperature of the gas distribution plate, and/or control a temperature of the substrate support and/or move and/or rotate the substrate support.

19. A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising controlling a temperature of a gas distribution plate having a faceplate with a front surface and a back surface defining a thickness and a plurality of apertures extending through the thickness, and a backing plate having a front surface and a back surface defining a thickness, the front surface in contact with the back surface of the faceplate, the front surface of the backing plate including a concave portion to form a plenum bounded by the concave portion and the back surface of the faceplate, and a plurality of thermal elements extending from the concave portion and contacting the back surface of the faceplate; and flowing a gas into the plenum in the gas distribution plate.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions, that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, cause the processing chamber to perform operations of: controlling a temperature of a gas distribution plate having a faceplate with a front surface and a back surface defining a thickness and a plurality of apertures extending through the thickness, and a backing plate having a front surface and a back surface defining a thickness, the front surface in contact with the back surface of the faceplate, the front surface of the backing plate including a concave portion to form a plenum bounded by the concave portion and the back surface of the faceplate, and a plurality of thermal elements extending from the concave portion and contacting the back surface of the faceplate; and controlling a flow of gas into the plenum of the gas distribution plate.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jared Ahmad
• Baluja Sanjeev
• Aubuchon Joseph
• Kashyap Dhritiman Subha
• Rice Michael

Classifications

• C23C16/45565 Primary

  Shower nozzles · CPC title

• B01J8/1818 Primary

  Feeding of the fluidising gas (B01J8/44 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J37/32449 Primary

  Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow · CPC title

• C23C16/4557

  Heated nozzles · CPC title

• B01J4/001

  Feed or outlet devices as such, e.g. feeding tubes · CPC title